


Bright

by Tamari



Category: Immortals - Tamora Pierce, PIERCE Tamora - Works, Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, Head-desk, Humor, Other, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-12
Updated: 2012-06-12
Packaged: 2017-11-19 09:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/571663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamari/pseuds/Tamari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's blinded and enthralled and exasperated all in one. But that's just her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bright

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inthefire](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=inthefire).



> Written for MPP #1, colour.  
> This was also for Allie (inthefire), because it's Faleron/Miri!

For all her dark hair, she's the brightest person she's ever met. She's sunlight and metal and red passion fruit perfume, and he can't tear his eyes away. She's a mess and she's not apologetic for it.

He thinks of warrior women and he thinks of calm, stoic, never-back-down Kel - but here comes Miri, with sunlit green eyes and a pony as spirited as she is.

At first he thinks she is like his sisters, just another giggly girl, but then he sees her take down a spidren with only a bow and a hard mouth. He's entranced.

-:-

Faleron doesn't know how to court a girl like her, but he tries anyway.

There's poetry -

_Oh, sweet Miri_

_If only I could express_

_How much I wish for you to be here, with me_

_So I could hold you close and confess_

_my love-_

but he's not a poet, really he isn't, and everything he writes sounds stilted or much too vulgar, and so the poems end up crumpled and tossed in the fire. Merric thinks this is hilarious, and says so.

"Good thinking," Merric says. "If you sent that, you'd be out of the running before you could say 'Queen's Riders'."

Faleron scowls.

Flowers, he thinks. All girls like flowers, right? He picks a green vase - for her eyes - filled with red gillyflowers - for her spirit - and has it delivered to the Rider Barracks.

He receives a note in reply.

_I appreciate your interest, gallant knight Sir Faleron of King's Reach, but I must say I do not return it._

_Best wishes,_

_Evin Larse_

Faleron slams his head into his desk.

-:-

In the end, he gives up on all traditional courting. He buys a nice quiver, wraps it up, and goes to see her in her barracks. It is not stalking, he tells himself as he walks down the path.

"Miri?" he calls.

The door opens and he jumps back.

Unfortunately for Faleron, it's the short, dark-skinned Rider Commander. "Can I help you?" she says coolly, surveying him and clearly finding him lacking.

"Is Miri Fisher here?" He says, very aware of the bright red package in his hand.

Commander Tourakom raises her eyebrows. "Yes."

He flushes and enters the barracks, edging uncomfortably past the commander, who is not amused.

"Miri?" he calls again.

She comes out of one of the rooms at his call, wringing water out of her hair - just out of the bathhouse? - and smiling at him. "Faleron? What are you doing here?"

He fidgets, thrown off guard as usual by her green eyes and general brightness. "I brought you a present," he says.

If possible, her smile gets wider when she sees the package. "Did you really?"

Faleron nods.

She opens the package and squees when she sees the new quiver. "This is wonderful! Thank you so much." She throws her arms around him.

Finally, he thinks, breathing in the passion fruit scent of her messy dark hair. Finally, finally, finally.

They stand there a moment, swaying slightly, before Miri pulls away, her eyes extra bright.

"Thanks for coming to see me," she says.

He flashes her a smile. "Anytime." After a pause - "Also, you can tell Evin Larse that those were _not_ intended for him!"


End file.
